Unlikely end for gaming

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Novella Pollock, customer service representative with Spinx, moves a sweepstakes machine inside the North Queen Street convenience store Thursday. The store’s two machines were turned to the wall after the state’s ban on sweepstakes took effect Thursday.

Zach Frailey / The Free Press

By David Anderson, Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 09:33 PM.

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The normally bright and colorful screens of sweepstakes machines were dimmed throughout Kinston and Lenoir County Thursday as a statewide ban on the electronic games took effect.

Operators of sweepstakes games had challenged a 2010 state law banning the games, which allow customers to purchase phone minutes or Internet time at various businesses, and then play electronic games on machines or computers in the hopes of winning cash prizes.

The N.C. Supreme Court upheld the law, and cleared the way for the state to enforce its ban — WRAL CBS 5 reported Thursday morning sweepstakes operators had taken their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the justices had not responded before the state law took effect.

Several local sweepstakes operations were closed Thursday, including Lucky Bucks Sweepstakes on N.C. 11 North, Pete’s Place on U.S. 258 North and Neuse Internet Café in the Kinston Pointe shopping center on U.S. 70 West.

Maurice Graham and Jason Narron of Kinston drove up to the darkened front of the Neuse Internet Café Thursday afternoon, hoping to play a few quick games.

They were disappointed to hear that, not only the Neuse Internet Café was closed, but sweepstakes had been banned across North Carolina.

The normally bright and colorful screens of sweepstakes machines were dimmed throughout Kinston and Lenoir County Thursday as a statewide ban on the electronic games took effect.

Operators of sweepstakes games had challenged a 2010 state law banning the games, which allow customers to purchase phone minutes or Internet time at various businesses, and then play electronic games on machines or computers in the hopes of winning cash prizes.

The N.C. Supreme Court upheld the law, and cleared the way for the state to enforce its ban — WRAL CBS 5 reported Thursday morning sweepstakes operators had taken their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the justices had not responded before the state law took effect.

Several local sweepstakes operations were closed Thursday, including Lucky Bucks Sweepstakes on N.C. 11 North, Pete’s Place on U.S. 258 North and Neuse Internet Café in the Kinston Pointe shopping center on U.S. 70 West.

Maurice Graham and Jason Narron of Kinston drove up to the darkened front of the Neuse Internet Café Thursday afternoon, hoping to play a few quick games.

They were disappointed to hear that, not only the Neuse Internet Café was closed, but sweepstakes had been banned across North Carolina.

“That’s just devastating!” Graham exclaimed.

Graham, who said he is a regular customer at Neuse Internet Café, said the winnings have often helped pay his bills.

“It’s a great thing to keep people occupied,” he said of sweepstakes.

Narron said his winnings also help with his expenses.

“We’ve been down to our last $5, and I know I’ve walked out of a sweepstakes place with about $600,” he said.

Sweepstakes machines can also be found at local convenience stores, but at least two operators shut their machines down Thursday.

Bhanubhi Nakrani, owner of the Cmart 10 store at Hull and Rouse roads, and his son Gautam Vasoya, said about eight to 10 people a day use the two sweepstakes machines at the store.

Nakrani said the company which owns the machines took the software out of them, and they were dark Thursday.

“About 40 to 45 percent of the whole day’s business is the (N.C. Education) Lottery,” Vasoya said.

The two machines set up at the Spinx convenience store on North Queen Street were turned to face the wall, and bore signs stating “No more sweepstakes!”

“I don't think it will stop the flow for us, given that we have so much more going on,” General Manager Kim Davis said.

Spinx sells a variety of items, including Marathon-brand gasoline, snacks, drinks, household items, tobacco products, Lottery tickets and more — similar items are sold at Cmart.

Customer Service Representative Novella Pollock said customers could pay for phone minutes and then play the sweepstakes games — Davis said Spinx staffers are staying in contact with local law enforcement to determine the final outcome of sweepstakes operations.

Sweepstakes operators are still working to find ways to remain in business and not lay off their many employees.

One option is using “pre-reveal software,” which allows the player to see the prize in advance, WRAL reported.

“We have not received any guidance as of right now from the Attorney General’s office as to whether pre-reveal software falls under the video sweepstakes law,” said Chris Hill, chief deputy of the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office.

Hill said law enforcement officials were “waiting on guidance from Raleigh” regarding the pre-reveal software.

He noted a case could be built and enforcement action taken against anyone operating a sweepstakes machine without pre-reveal software, though.

Kinston Public Safety Director Bill Johnson said city police were also seeking guidance from the Attorney General’s office before taking enforcement action.

“We have visited the facilities that are within the city limits and just made sure they were aware of the decision from the courts,” Johnson said.

He noted the majority of facilities were closed, and in one that was open, “we discussed the statute with them and asked them to pass it along to their manager.”

Back at the Neuse Internet Café, Kinston resident Greg Dunk walked past the café and other shops while patronizing Kinston Pointe Thursday.

He said he had followed the sweepstakes issue in the news and supported the ban.

“I wouldn’t mess with that, any of that fly-by-night stuff, what I call those get-rich-quick type of machines,” he said. “I’m a construction worker and I work too hard for my money.”